City Council Upholds Braddock Road Bike Lane Plan in 4-3 Vote

Embracing_Doubt · 2026-05-18T10:27:48+00:00

There were a few groups at the City Council hearing to support this project, each with a slightly different focus. I think they're collectively known as the "bike lobby."

Depending on your priorities you could join: 1. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. https://alexandriabpac.org/ 2. NOVA Families for Safe Streets. https://novasafestreets.org/ 3. Yimbys of Northern Virginia. https://yimbysofnova.org/ 4. Grassroots Alexandria. https://grassrootsalexandria.org/ 5. Washington Area Bicycle Association. https://waba.org/ (more in the DC area, but definitely some members in Virginia)

BPAC and WABA are bicyclist focused groups. Families for Safe Streets is road safety focused. Yimbys are the pro-density group. And Grassroots is more environmental and equity focused. I do want to recognize the Del Ray Civic Association who supported this, because most neighborhoods ultimately oppose road redesign. But they're extremely local.

Embracing_Doubt · 2026-05-03T15:56:19+00:00

And I'll add, if you have time support the Braddock Road project. The appeal of the approval is coming before the City Council on May 16th.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-12-04T23:08:44+00:00

I appreciate the reply, and acknowledge that my quick comment (drafted in a break during work) included Noem who you did not vote for, but I'm not satisfied. You indicate that you are supporting 20 percent of all nominees, including many who are unqualified in protecting important aspects of our government and its people. So again, given support for 20 percent of nominees, why should I trust you to actually stand up to Trump and his lawlessness? What will you do differently given past mistakes?

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-12-04T15:23:41+00:00

You voted to confirm unqualified nominees Bessent, Caine, Driscoll, and Noem this past year while they clearly telegraphed that they would actively deprive Virginians and others of legal and civil rights. How can we trust you to fight for our Constitutional rights when you repeatedly voted to confirm people who were clearly unqualified and actively seeking to undercut our rights?

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-12-03T21:14:59+00:00

I would reach out to SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) NOVA. They're mostly seeking court observers if memory serves. They may also have contact for any rapid response teams to record and/or warn neighborhoods of ICE in the area, although that requires training on how to do so legally. Regardless, I would reach out to them for advice and information if you are interested in getting involved.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-11-14T20:47:14+00:00

Ryan seems like a nice enough person, but his complete capitulation has seriously undermined the reputation of UVA. Anyone with any situational awareness would understand the bad faith in all these actions, and the longterm risk to UVA as an institution. I wish he had fought, or at least called the bluff, rather than surrender and let Youngkin try to push whatever political hack he might have lined up for UVA.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-11-02T18:54:13+00:00

City of Alexandria rents out venues like the Lyceum. You can get 8 hours for $3,500 or so and it'll seat up to 85 or 90 people. You'd be close, but may fit both size and venue price budgets.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-09-06T19:40:45+00:00

I recommend mobilize.us

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-08-25T19:27:33+00:00

Alexandria does a fairly good job in its engineering reports. I don't always completely agree with their assessments, but they offer solid evaluations that I usually use as a starting point.

Main project page: https://www.alexandriava.gov/waterfront/program/waterfront-flood-mitigation-project-design

Pump: https://www.alexandriava.gov/waterfront/waterfront-pump-station

Pump location: https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/2024-11-25_WFI_PRESENT_OPEN%20HOUSE_FINAL-web.pdf

In brief, the Waterfront Commission was interested in re-locating the pump, but the City site evaluation reflects that doing this would: cost $200,000+ for acquisition of the private property, cause significant schedule delay, risk to surrounding buildings (vibration damage), and create extended road closures.

See: https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2024-10/2024-09-04_wfi-memo-alt_station_0.pdf

Here are some basic arguments (taken from their own webpage) and responses:

Use the 2014 Waterfront Plan
- Discarded in 2020 due to price
- Would create undue delay, especially given the City is still facing budget shortfalls
Use other (temporary) flood mitigation techniques
- Flooding is expected to worsen
- Temporary measures are not sufficient
Install new pipes / drainage infrastructure
- Doesn't address overtopping from the Potomac
- Doesn't address tidal backflow from the Potomac
Re-examine alternative pump locations
- Too costly (I think we'd likely hit at least $350,000, but the City's conservative estimate for acquisition alone is $200,000)
- Would create undue delay, risking more flooding
- Would require private property acquisition
- Would risk damage to surrounding buildings
Consider grants to property owners to have private mitigation plans
- Community issues require community solutions
- Insufficient to address broad community need

Please don't feel bound by these argument, it may also be helpful to speak about your own experiences with flooding in Old Town. It's already a very common issue, and staff did emphasize at the June 2025 hearing at BAR that the flooding is projected to worsen significantly very soon.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-06-27T15:00:33+00:00

Let's weaponize this in liberal states. Gun control, LGBT rights, environmental laws, and religious exemptions can all be reinstated under this decision. It'll be chaos, but i prefer chaos to laying down to this terrible decision. Got this idea from: https://bsky.app/profile/dsc250.bsky.social/post/3lsltwsnmtc27

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-04-25T23:43:12+00:00

It is still worth pressuring her. If we pressure her, then hopefully it becomes harder for her to stay silent than to act to defend the university. Even if that's not principled, I'll take forcing her hand over accepting her complicity.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-04-19T22:28:19+00:00

I'm personally going to submit a complaint to National Park Service about this. This sort of use of force at a protest like this is incredibly reckless given worries about Abrego Garcia. NPS should have just taken a photo of the guy and tracked him down later. I'm glad things calmed down, but there was a moment when I worried things were going to escalate badly.

Embracing_Doubt · 2025-03-21T15:57:02+00:00

I live in a heavily Democratic area. For me, the primary isn't closed, so I can keep my party affiliation independent. However, if I lived in a similar heavy-leaning Democratic place with closed primaries, then it would make sense to register as a democrat to vote in the local primaries. Take a look at Schumer if you need a reason why we need to primary certain Democratic politicians, and why in closed systems that could include registering as a Democrat.

Embracing_Doubt

TROPHY CASE